The Struggle of all cultural theorists has been with cultures itself. This contradictory position occurs because the lens they opt to see the cultures and tradition is the lens of western modernity and in specific a Marxist lens, which in turn, wishes to see conflict.
Now, here is a caveat. I am a proud card-carrying Marxist. So, in anyways, I am not critiquing the critical lens of Marxism, but only filling the loopholes that Marxism has. The case study here we have in front of us is of Chhath Puja, celebrated in the Eastern and central India, mostly in Bihar.
Now, this would have been a fairly simple analysis if I would just have been a Marxist. But Materialist philosophy only tells us that we have highly trapped in our material socio-economic circumstances. So, from that point of view, I am also a Male, Savarna, Brahmin, Hindu and many more privileged labels. These labels give me privileges that sometimes I realize and sometimes I cannot. But along with these privileges, there are also privileges of witnessing this Festival through an eye of Nostalgia and emotion and with a lot of love and affection for my culture. Marxism, being a hardcore materialist philosophy, renders all of this, along with religion, as imaginations of the man and hence not worth paying interest since they are of no use for the revolutionary struggle.
But Chhath Puja for me is not just a cultural imagination but it is a part of my childhood memories, and I am not materialist enough to reject all of these memories like they are just an imagination.
With all these disclaimers, I begin my Analysis. Not to forget, Intellectual honesty >> Any emotional baggage.
Coming to the issue, Let's address the Elephant in the room straight away!
Is Chhath Puja Oppressive to Indian woman who do it, they have to suffer extreme penance, and they are trained to celebrate their suffering in cold water like it's a victory and a pride?
The answer is of course yes. Notice, that I did not even Flinch. I did not say, unfortunately yes or may be yes. It is undoubtedly and irrevocably yes. Women suffer through this whole pooja. They do fasts, they cook. They suffer wild winters and cold and cold waters and wait for the sun to rise and even a little light for their misery to come to an end.
So, yes, it is suffering refabricated to sound like it's a matter of Pride. Just like Jauhar in Rajput cultures were celebrated like a matter of pride. Chhath puja is seen as a pride.
Now, is the analysis over? No, not yet. There is more to it.
When Marxism stops, Psychoanalysis begins. If we consider that the women who do Chhath puja are deluded, what they are deluded of? Social peer pressure? may be. But more so, there is an undercurrent of Oedipal love that takes shape here.
It is said, in mythology, Hindu Mythology, that Parvati maa, the wife of Lord Shiva, did her first Chhath as a woman, for her son Kartikeya, who was gone for a battle with a demon. The mother son love angle to this makes it a little sacred. So, can be conclude crudely that Chhath Puja is a celebration of Oedipus complex in Hindu culture.
Sort of yes and no. No, because, it has more to it. Chhath puja entails a cultural and historical meaning attached to it. In modern days, In Bihar, since employment opportunities became scarce, People, especially young men, started migrating outside Bihar for Jobs. This Puja is a reminder for them to come home. This Puja is a celebration of a more sacred, Platonic form of love for the Motherland and it has emotions related to nostalgia and pain of migration intrinsically woven to it.
The guy migrated is Kartikeya, his mother doing Chhath personifies Parvati. Also, the word "Parvati" signifies, the one who is daughter of mountains. Who are considered daughter of mountains, "Rivers in this country". It has a third meaning of Rivers calling with their water flowing sound, an invitation to drown yourself in the memories of mother's love and compassion. An unconditional love that a person searches all of his/her life failing to find it becomes sad. It is reminder that not only a ray of hope with the upcoming sun, but with the setting sun of the evening, there is always a ray of hope to look forward to. Nothing becomes a past. Everything can happen again. You will be loved. and in turn, you will love.
The setting sun and the rising sun is worshipped with water. It is as if, Human beings are offering water to the ever moving, ever present, Sun who never fails to show up. It is as if, we say to sun, listen! you work very hard. Sit down, have some water, relax. We love you. It is worshipping nature to the purest. Directly worshipping.
Why are women made to do it? Why cannot men suffer? I do not know. I have never heard of men doing it. I have a good and an obnoxious reason to support the fact. Good reason is since the personification of motherly love has to be a woman, that is why. Obnoxious reason is of course patriarchy, sexism and misogyny.
The person reading this might feel a certain kind of bias in me towards this festival. To which I do not disagree. I acknowledge it. But my whole premise is to show that not all cultures are intended to oppressive, they have oppressive rituals and problematic elements, but the intention might not be so. Even if it was, when did we decide that we have to just preserve cultures and not reshape and remake the cultures according to our feelings and needs?
Just like in Hindu weddings, nowadays every groom also touches the feet of the bride and not just vice-versa, we can make men do Chhath, and if that is oppressive, I as a man, would like to suffer for my culture, my nostalgia and my emotions. This is why emotions are for. A sweet agony, a pain that makes you smile and say, if I can smile through this, I can smile through life in general.
It would have been nicer if I could sing or make you listen to a Chhath song in this article only, but that is only one disadvantage of write ups, they can only be read.
Here is a beloved song of Chhath puja, that I am attaching here. Hope Chhathi maiyya brings auspiciousness to your life. It basically means, how There is a ritual that after the Chhath arghas, we do not say no to any needy person on that Ghat. If a blind person asks, we give him our eyes. If a child-less woman, asks we give her our child. We do not say no! Give us the ability to say yes to the needy! O! Lord Sun!
सोना सट कुनिया, हो दीनानाथ ।
हे घूमइछा संसार, हे घूमइछा संसार ।।
सोना सट कुनिया, हो दीनानाथ ।
हे घूमइछा संसार, हे घूमइछा संसार ।।
आन दिन उगइ छा हो दीनानाथ ।
आहे भोर भिनसार, आहे भोर भिनसार ।।
आजू के दिनवा हो दीनानाथ ।
हे लागल एती बेर, हे लागल एती बेर ।।
बाट में भेटिए गेल गे अबला ।
एकटा अन्हरा पुरुष, एकटा अन्हरा पुरुष ।।
अंखिया दियेते गे अबला ।
हे लागल एती बेर, हे लागल एती बेर ।।
बाट में भेटिए गेल गे अबला ।
एकटा बाझिनिया, एकटा बाझिनिया ।।
बालक दियेते गे अबला ।
हे लागल एती बेर, हे लागल एती बेर ।।
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